I absolutely love chocolateandzucchini.com! In fact, it has become my textbook, if you will. I am moving to Paris in August. I will be moving there from my surf town here in California, and I am so excited to embark on this exciting new journey! I have been able to compile a list of a thousand restaurants to try, markets to shop at, parks to wander through.....all from this site! I come from a family of gourmet's and thusly I am in love and obsessed with all things food related.

So here is my question for all of you out there: As a 21 year old female university student, I want to know where the best places are that I can go out and meet others near my age. I know lots of university students hang out around rue Mouffetard. But I am aslo sure there are countless other spots. Anyone out there have any fabulous suggestions? For instance, what is the best cafe to study at? Where is the best place to sit and have a cafe au lait while reading a lovely textbook?

My best advice to you would be to contact the American Church in Paris and check out all the groups and facilities they have. They do have a website which is www.acparis.org The Women of the American Church (woac) also have a website and are very helpful.

There is a course run over one or two days called "Bloom where you are planted" run by the church. It is aimed at wives/spouses of english speaking people living in France and especially in Paris. However, it is very worthwhile if you are intending on being here for a while. They go through the education system, government/administrative procedures and regulations, basic everyday knowledge and heaps more. This course will run in August or September, so check the website.

They have links to all sorts of facilities and different organisations which can help you settle in faster and make the most of your time here. You can buy the Bloom book at the reception desk of the church, and it is quite handy to have a copy. They also have a gym and a library on site.

I made some very nice friends at the Bloom seminar and actually have lunch with one of them every week. The info provided and the opportunity to meet others in a similar situation was the best part of the seminar. You do not need to be a member of the church or even American (I am Australian) to be welcomed with open arms.

There was also a student website which I found last year (but cannot for the life of me find now), which had heaps of info aimed at the students in PAris. It may have been through the above website? I am sure if you typed in students and paris in your search engine you would come up with something.

What uni are you going to and what are you going to be studying?

Good luck! What a fabulous adventure. I hope you enjoy it as much as we are._________________If you cannot feel your arteries hardening, eat more cheese. If you can, drink more red wine. Diet is just "die" with a "t" on the end. Exercise is walking into the kitchen.

welcome on board the good ship chocolateandzucchini! oh oh such a journey you'll have ~ bringing your energy to Paris, to France, to Europe...

am turning a happy shade of green.._________________"I've never accepted the external appearance of things as the whole truth. The world is much more elaborate than the nerves of our eye can tell us." - James Gleeson